Procurement Operations Director Europe & Australasia

The Procurement Operations Director is a senior leadership role with significant scope and impact, responsible for leading a large, complex procurement organization across Europe & Australasia, while also holding global accountability for Recovered Fiber. The role drives value creation through operational excellence, continuous improvement and strong business partnering across Essity's manufacturing footprint.

About the Role

The Procurement Operations Director leads a multilayer organization of approximately 140 people across more than 30 manufacturing sites and reports directly to the VP Procurement (CPO).

The scope covers tactical purchasing across all categories, leading local and regional strategies in indirect and MRO/NPMS, as well as support for CAPEX projects across Europe & Australasia. In addition, the role is responsible for the global strategy and implementation of the Recovered Fiber category, one of Essity's key raw materials.

The role ensures an efficient and agile organizational set-up to execute procurement activities with high standards. It works closely with category management and key stakeholders to ensure value creation and best-in-class operational services.

Within the Procurement Operations scope, the role is responsible for driving and supporting the delivery of the global approach within its region, including the necessary regional adaptations.

The role actively supports continuous improvement together with Procurement Excellence to ensure organizational agility, effectiveness and efficiency. Strategic ownership of the overall procurement operating model remains with Procurement Excellence.

The role also includes strong business partnering, ensuring full collaboration between Procurement and Essity manufacturing sites. It acts with an overall business understanding and in close collaboration with other functions to maximize value created by Global Procurement.

What You Will Do

• Develop strong relationships and credibility with key internal stakeholders
• Lead and develop a highly complex, multi-layered organization, driving strategic alignment across multiple management levels while ensuring operational excellence, strong governance, and a cohesive leadership culture.
• Manage Procurement Operations across Europe and Australasia, as well as Global Recovered Fiber organizations
• Ensure development of global procurement strategy for Recovered Fiber in line with Essity overall business needs as well as ensuring a timely implementation
• Ensure development of local/regional procurement strategies for Europe and Australasia, as well as Business Partnering strategy to mitigate risk, secure supply, generate cost saving/avoidance initiatives as well as value creation and bundling opportunities
• Contribute actively to Procurement Leadership team to develop the function in line with business expectations
• Build an agile organization, improve efficiency and develop functional capabilities on all levels
• Drive delivery and understanding of Global Procurement key programs and strategies
• Liaise with all functions in the Procurement Leadership team to ensure that the EU and Australasia regional needs are integrated in global category strategies
• Identify improvement opportunities to further raise digitalization and system efficiency

Who You Are

• Experience in Procurement Transformation, in particular in clustering tactical procurement. Perspectives such as experience of colocation, outsourcing and similar activities is an advantage.
• Master's degree or equivalent within a relevant field (Business, Economics, Supply Chain etc)
• 10+ years working experience in a leadership role in procurement
• Proven ability to lead people and create a collaborative work environment driven by ambitious goals as well as high team spirit
• Ability to work in an international, complex, matrix organization
• Analytical mindset and results oriented
• Solid communication and stakeholder management skills
• Perspective and make the vision happen
• Fluent in English

This position can be based in Gothenburg, Munich or Barcelona.
Only applications in English will be considered.

What We Can Offer You

Our purpose, Breaking Barriers to Well-being, provides meaning to everything we do. Working at Essity means a chance to improve wellbeing for people and opportunities to drive positive change for society and the environment. As an employee at Essity, you will belong to an organization where you feel valued, supported to grow, and challenged to generate business results in a collaborative and open atmosphere.

Innovate for Good | Excel Together | Be You with Us

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Application End Date:

27 Juni 2026
Job Requisition ID:
Essity262811